The Queen Between
by dragonpearlz
Summary: Bash and Francis talk after Bash pulls him from the ice. Although they ignore that Francis is coming down sick, Mary is not able to ignore the Francis' budding cold.


Francis shivered violently beneath the three blankets that the servants had wrapped him with. Bash handed him a mug of grog, for which he was quite thankful. The alcohol would warm his insides even as the fire warmed and dried his outsides.

"You saved me," Francis said, clearing his throat. His voice was hoarse and his throat felt oddly moist, as though the heat from his body was melting the remainder of the ice in his body.

"I did," Bash agreed. They had been fighting far too long and it made him uneasy. Bastard or no, he was Francis' brother, and – until Mary – they had squabbled over very little.

"Heh…eh… Kesssh!" Francis sneezed to the side, sniffling for his lack of a handkerchief.

"Here," Bash said, his boots clacking against the stone floor. He unfurled his handkerchief in front of his brother.

"Thanks," Francis said, taking it and dabbing at his nose. "Are you sure that was wise?" he asked, smothering a few coughs into the handkerchief.

Bash took a seat near Francis and cocked a dark eyebrow at him. They were in almost every way opposites: Francis had blonde hair while he had brown; Francis had been trained rapier fighting for sport while he had been taught out of necessity; Francis had been sheltered while Bash had not been; Francis had been accepted while Bash had most certainly not been. "And have you sneeze and cough all over me? What kind of decorum would that be?" he replied with a smirk.

"Heh," Francis agreed. "I meant from the – from the … ice… Kessh!"

"I know what you meant." An eerie silence feel between them. Thing hadn't been awkward until they both fell for Mary. He hated the feeling of being separated from his brother. "And I couldn't let you drown. They'd put me in the stocks and then we would both be worse for the wear," he jabbed, his smirk growing into a teasing grin.

Francis suppressed a cough. "Yea, I could see how it would be in your best interest to save me," he agreed with a grin. He stretched his neck as a dull ache began in his ear.

Suddenly, the door squeaked open and Mary came running through. "Francis," she said, coming up to him. Quickly she stepped back and hugged Bash.

"I heard about what you did," she said, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you," she whispered before letting him go.

Bash hugged her tightly, enjoying the feeling of her soft in his arms. The absence of her felt like his cleaved his heart in two and shoved the air from his chest. "I'll let you be alone," he said, breathlessly.

Mary barely heard him as she turned back to Francis. "Are you all right?" she asked, her hands cupping his face.

Eyes wide, he watched as his brother left like a dog who had been punished.

He looked at the woman who had come between them. Although he wished he could be angry with her, the truth was it was her that he had thought of when he thought he was going to die. It was her that he wanted at his side. "Mary, I –" He shook free and sneezed heavily. "Heh-KESSH!" into the handkerchief.

"You're ill," she stated. It was not a question.

"Merely a sniffle from the ice. I'll be all right as soon as I warm up." An ill timed sneeze seemed to devoid her of believing him.

"Well all right. What can I get you?" she asked, feeling like she should do _something_.

"Nothing. Sit by me. Be with me."

She sat formally in the chair that Bash had previously been in. "You have that. But, I feel like I should do more," she admitted.

"Ma-har-y, just… KESSH! Heh-KESSH! Sidt with mbe," he finished stuffily blowing his nose a bit at the end.

A shy smile crossed her face. She was slightly embarrassed to admit it, but he was rather cute when he sneezed.

"Well, I can tell you stories of what you missed, while the two of you were gallivanting around the country side and going for a swim in the dead middle of winter," she offered, teasing him a bit to lighten the situation.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "I'd like that," he replied with a sniffle as he allowed the sound of her voice to sooth the dull ache in his ear and drifted to sleep to the drama of life at court.


End file.
